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How to have a merry Christmas in an apartment

Decorating a generous-sized home for Christmas is a cinch. Throw up a towering tree in the living room, hang tinsel from the ceiling, and fairy lights in the yard and you’re done. But the fact is the way Australians live is changing.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the apartment commencements have been outstripping those of houses nationwide. In Sydney and Melbourne the disparity is even larger, and more people than ever will call an apartment home this Christmas.

To help make sure unit-dwellers have the merry Christmas they deserve, we’ve whipped up some handy tips to having Christmas in an apartment.

Fit a Christmas tree in

Place your Christmas tree on the deck and you can move the presents out on the day.

A massive Christmas tree might just be a tight fit in your apartment. Commsec and Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the average floor space for apartments built in 2015/2016 is roughly 100sqm smaller than that of houses.

You’ll have to get creative with your tree to compensate. Go for something of a slightly smaller stature, but consider your placement smartly. The corner of the living room or dining room works but you’re going to want to make sure it’s unobstructed so that you can enjoy the sight of it.

Alternatively, place your Christmas tree on the deck and you can move the presents out on the day, saving space and making for a special Christmas morning.

Use the walls as much as possible

Adorn the walls of your rooms with decals, wreaths and fairy lighting.

When you’re decorating your apartment for Christmas, avoid placing large decorations in the middle of rooms or hanging things from the ceiling, as that’s a surefire way to make a small space even smaller.

Instead, adorn the walls of your rooms with decals, wreaths and fairy lighting. That way your home will look like it should come Christmas, without being overly cramped. Consider space in everything you do and you’ll be able to get the most out of decorating a smaller home.

Hide the unnecessary furniture

Consider space in everything you do and you’ll be able to get the most out of decorating a smaller home.

If you’re having Christmas lunch in an apartment, you may have to roll your sleeves up and make some extra space.

Consider using your bedroom or office as a storage space for extra furniture for the day (TV cabinet, bookshelves) that way you’ll have as much room as possible for your table setting.

With excess furniture out of the way, there will also be more room for decoration, allowing you to dial the Christmas theme right up to 100. Your guests will appreciate having room to move and they don’t need to know that half of your living room has been relocated to your bedroom!

The scent of Christmas

Nothing transforms a space better than a beautiful aroma wafting through its hallways.

Nothing transforms a space better than a beautiful aroma wafting through its hallways. This Christmas, throw your favourite spices (think cloves and cinnamon), a little citrus (orange peels and lemon) into your slow cooker with some vanilla bean, and water and leave to simmer on low.

All the scents in the pot will mingle and spread throughout your apartment, creating a brilliant first impression for guests. Plus if you’ve been doing your washing (or burnt the ham) it’ll mask any unpleasant scents that can become overpowering in such a small space.

Go green and use your outdoor space

If you’re lucky enough to live in an apartment with a large deck-space, don’t leave it out of your Christmas plans. At the very least make sure you decorate the space – think fairy lights, perhaps an inflatable Santa, or even fake grass for a Christmas barbeque.

If you have enough room, having lunch outside is an excellent option. That way you can move inside for drinks, and use the rest of your space for entertaining later in the evening or extended present opening sessions.

Whatever you do, remember that just because you live in a smaller space, you don’t have to sacrifice an epic Christmas with all your friends and family!